Armenian Street Festival 2013

World Land Trust (WLT) had a stall at the Armenian Street Festival in Kensington on Sunday 14 July providing information about WLT’s support for essential conservation work in Armenia.

Mary McEvoy, WLT's Conservation Programmes Manager (Asia and Africa Regions), and Charlotte Beckham, WLT's Conservation Development Assistant, were both on the stall. "The timing of the event was perfect," said Mary, "because, only the week before, we received the first ever video footage of a Caucasian Leopard in the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge. We were able to emphasise the importance of habitat conservation for the leopard's survival and it was great to speak to so many people keen to learn about conservation in Armenia."

Since 2010, WLT has been raising awareness and funds to protect rare and threatened habitats in the Armenian Caucasus. Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, WLT has helped create a protected area of more than 1,000 acres (the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge), and in 2012, WLT launched a special appeal to save the endangered Caucasian Leopard.

WLT's stall at the Armenian Street Festival offered an excellent opportunity for members of the public to find out about the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge and the wildlife found there, to meet staff from WLT’s programmes team, and to hear from them why saving the biodiverse habitat of the south Caucasus is so vitally important.

The event was a celebration of all things Armenian, including Armenian food, live entertainment, stalls and street vendors, games and children’s activities. The festival also featured a concert in St Sarkis Church.